Folding leg construction



March 31, 1942.

J. KOVATS FOLDING LEG CONSTRUCTION Filed May 18, 1940 INVENTOR /0&7? AOZ/QZ'S ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 31, 1942 2,277,917 v FOLDING LEG CONSTRUCTION John Kovats, Fairfield, Conn., assignor to The Leg-O-Matic Company, Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application May 18, 1940, Serial No. 335,981

9 Claims.

This invention relates to folding articles of furniture, and, more particularly, to a hinge construction which is particularly adapted for use with the foldable legs of certain collapsible furniture such as chairs and the like.

Many various types of folding furniture have heretofore been proposed and such articles, particularly those articles of furniture which can be compactly folded for storage, have come into a wide use. Manufacturers of such folding furniture have, to gain folding features, in many instances been forced to sacrifice rigidity of the article when in the extended position.

The hinge construction of the present invention obviates many of the difficulties heretofore encountered, for a leg secured by the hinge construction of the present invention may not only be easily moved to either of its alternate positions, but is firmly braced against lateral movement when extended for use.

The present invention insures a rigid support for an article of furniture, but yet does not complicate or render difficult the movement of the legs to and from their folded positions.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the leg is fitted with a plate having an outturned flange pivotally secured to a corner bracket secured at the junction of two frame members, which bracket braces the frame members and prevents the same from separating. The bracket is provided with a slot permitting the flange of the leg plate to move to a position between one frame member and the bracket when the leg is moved to the extended position. The facewise engagement of the flange with the adjacent faces of the frame member and bracket braces the leg and augments the rigidity of the chair when in use.

The movement of a leg so secured is not complicated and may be made to follow the movement of some other folding element of the chair or the like.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the hinge construction of the present invention showing the leg in the extended position.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the junction shown in Fig, 1 with the frame members broken away.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the junction of the frame members of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Fig.2.

The invention is particularly adapted for use with folding chairs, and, in the form of the invention illustrated, has been shown with such an article of folding furniture. The invention, in its broadest aspects, however, is not to be limited to a folding chair, for it may be used with other articles of folding furniture as well.

In the embodiment of the invention shown, the present invention has been illustrated in connection with the front leg construction of a folding chair to simplify the disclosure. In most instances, considerably more operating mechanism is carried by the rear legs, and, if the invention had been shown in connection with the rear legs, the disclosures would have been complicated by the inclusion of elements forming no part of this invention. It is not to be taken, however, that the invention is limited to a hinge construction for the front leg of a folding chair.

The present invention, referring now to the drawing, comprises an angle bracket Ill secured by suitable screws or other fastening devices II to the inner upper faces of frame members I 2 and I3 of the seat construction or frame. The bracket [0 is rigid and serves to effectively brace the junction of the frame members against movement.

The bracket is provided with a depending flange or ear M. The leg I5 is pivotally secured to the depending ear M by means of a pivot pin l6 carried by an outturned flange ll of a plate l8 secured to an inner face of the leg l5.

Where the leg I5 is to fold upon folding movement of some other element of the chair such as the back rest member or rear legs, not shown, a toggle mechanism I9 is provided which comprises a pair of toggle links 20 and 2|. Toggle link 2! is suitably secured at one end by a pivot pin 22 to the lower end of the outturned flange I1, while link 20 has one end secured as at 23 to the arm of the bracket l0 carried by the frame member l2. The opposite end of link 20 is pivotally connected to link 2| adjacent the end thereof by a suitable pivot pin 24. An actuator link 25 having one end suitably connected to another folding element of the chair (not shown) has the opposite end connected as at 26 to the free end of the toggle link 2|.

The hinge construction of the present invention is shown in Fig. l in the position wherein the leg I5 is extended, and it will be seen that movement of the actuator link 25 in the direction of the arrow will cause the toggle l9 to break and move the leg l5 about its pivot IE to a folded position underlying the frame member l2. Movement of the actuator link 25 in the opposite direction, after the leg has been folded, will, of course, cause the leg to move to the fully extended position, as shown in Fig. 1.

The toggle mechanism, in addition to forming an operating means for moving the leg 15 to folded or extended position will also brace the leg when in the fully extended position.

To further brace the leg and insure a greater rigidity to the chair when extended, the bracket I is provided with a keeper slot 21 adapted to receive the outturned flange ll of the leg plate 18 when the leg is moved to the fully extended position. The flange of the bracket i0 is spaced from the frame member l2 so that a space is provided to allow reception of the outturned flange l1 between the adjacent faces of the frame member 12 and the flange of the bracket if] when the leg is fully extended.

The reception of the outturned flange H within the keeper slot and the space between the adjacent faces of the frame member l2 and the bracket H1 will prevent lateral movement of the leg I5 when extended, for the flange I1 is in facewise engagement over a considerable area with the adjacent face of the frame member I2 and the bracket 10.

It will be seen, therefore, that the leg 15, when extended, is braced and held against movement by not only the toggle mechanism l9, but also the flange H as above explained. It will be un- 2 Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of this invention and portions of the improvement may be used without others.

I claim: 1. A folding front leg construction for a chair having frame members arranged at angles to each other to form a seat frame comprising an angle bracket secured in a corner of said frame; a front leg; 2. plate secured to said leg adjacent the top thereof and having a portion projecting rearwardly of the same; means pivotally securing the projecting portion of said plate to an arm of said bracket, said bracket having a slot for receiving the projecting portion of said plate when the leg is moved to fully extend position,

the walls of said slot holding the projecting portion of the plate and the leg against movement normal to the plane of movement of the leg when pivotally moved; and means for remotely operating said leg including a toggle mechanism having pivotally interconnected links pivoted to the bracket and said projecting portion of said plate respectively and an actuating link pivotally connected to one of the links of said toggle mechanism.

2. The combination with a seat frame of a chair having frame members arranged at angles to each other, of an angle bracket, one arm of which is secured to the upper face of a frame member and the other arm projects downwardly therefrom parallel with and spaced from the inner side face of the frame member; a leg; a plate secured to said leg and engaging one end face of the frame member when the leg is in the extended position; a flange projecting from said plate; and means for pivotally securing said flange to said last-named arm, with the flange in engagement with the outer face of said arm and the inner side face of said frame member, the engagement between the plate and end face of the frame member and between the flange and side face of the frame member and arm of the bracket when the leg is in the extended position holding the leg against movement other than movement to the folded position.

3. In a folding chair, a seat frame; a leg; a flange projecting from a face of said leg; an angle bracket secured in the corner of said frame, said bracket comprising at least one angle iron, the one arm of which is secured to the upper face of the frame with the other arm thereof extending downwardly adjacent the side face of the frame; and means for pivotally securing the flange to the last-named arm of said bracket, the downwardly extending arm being spaced from the side face of said frame and forming with said face a flange-receiving space therebetween, the first-named arm of said angle iron being formed with a slot to permit the entry of said flange into said space when the leg is moved to the fully extended position.

4. In a folding chair, a seat frame; a leg; a flange projecting from a face of said leg; a bracket secured in the corner of said frame, said bracket comprising at least one angle iron, the one arm of which is secured to the upper face of the frame with the other arm thereof, substantially longer than said first-named arm, extending downwardly adjacent the side face of the frame; means for pivotally securing th flange to the longer arm of said bracket, said longer arm being spaced from the side face of said fram and forming with said face a flange-receiving space therebetween, the first-named arm of said angle iron being formed with a slot to permit the entry of said flange into said space when the leg is fully extended; and a toggle mechanism comprising pivotally interconnected links, the free end of one of said links being pivotally connected to said flange adjacent the lower end thereof, the free end of the other of said pivotally interconnected links being pivotally secured to the longer arm of said bracket.

5. In a folding chair, a seat frame; a leg; a flange projecting from a face of said leg adjacent the upper end thereof; a bracket secured in the corner of said frame, said bracket comprising at least one angle iron, the one arm of which is secured to the upper face of the frame with the other arm thereof extending downwardly adjacent the side face of the frame; and means for pivotally securing said flange intermediate its ends to the last-named arm of said bracket, the last-named arm being spaced from the side face of said frame and forming with said face a flangereceiving pocket therebetween, the first-named arm of said bracket being formed with a slot to permit the entry of the upper end of said flange into said pocket when the leg is moved to the fully extended position, the reception of the flange between the said last-named arm and the side face of the fram bracing the leg against movement longitudinally of the axis of the pivotal connection.

6. In a folding chair, a seat member comprising a pluralit of frame members angularly disposed; an angle bracket secured to the adjacent ends of two frame members and holding the frame members against movement; a folding leg having two side faces adapted to engage the adjacent ends of two frame members when in the fully extended position; and means for pivotally connecting said leg to said bracket whereby the leg may be moved to a folded position underlying one of the frame members, said means including a flange carried by'said leg pivotally secured to the bracket, the bracket including a downwardly extending flange spaced from the side face of one of said frame members and forming with said frame member a flange-receiving space therebetween, the leg flange being received within said space when the leg is moved to the fully extending position, the engagement between the opposite faces of said leg flange and the adjacent faces of the frame member and the flange of said bracket rigidly holding the leg against movement in a direction transverse to the plane in which it moves during its folding movement.

7. In a folding chair, a seat frame comprising a plurality of angularly disposed frame members; a bracket secured to a frame member adjacent the end thereof, said bracket comprising an angle iron, one arm of which is secured to the upper face of said frame member, the other arm thereof extending downwardly in spaced relation with the side face of said frame member; a supporting leg having a face engaging the end face of said frame member; a flange carried by said leg and lying intermediate the side face of said frame member and the downwardly extending arm of said bracket; means for pivotally connecting said flange intermediate its ends to said lastnamed arm whereby the leg may be moved to a folded position underlying said frame member, the first-named arm of said bracket being formed with a slot receiving the upper end of said flange when the leg is in the extended position and permitting the leg to be moved to the folded position; a pair of pivotally interconnected levers, the free ends of the levers being connected to the downwardly extending arm and flange respectively; and an actuating link connected to one of said levers for causing the leg to move to its folded or extended positions in response to movement of the link.

8. In a folding chair, a seat'frame comprising a plurality of angular disposed frame members; a

bracket secured to a frame member adjacent th end thereof, said bracket comprising an angle iron, one arm of which is secured to the upper face of a frame member, the other arm thereof extending downwardly in spaced relation with th side face of said frame member; a supporting leg; a plate carried by a face of said leg; a flange extending from said plate; and means for pivotally securing the flange to the outer face of said downwardly extending arm, the plate and flange engaging the end and side face respectively of said frame member when the leg is fully extended, the flange lying intermediate, and engaging the adjacent faces of, said frame member and the downwardly extending arm of said bracket when the leg is in th fully extended position, the firstnamed arm of said bracket being formed with a slot for receiving at least a portion of said flange when the leg is in the fully extended position and permitting the flange to be moved from its position intermediate the frame and the last-named arm of the bracket when the leg is moved to the folded position.

9. In a folding chair, a seat frame comprising a plurality of angularly disposed frame members; a bracket secured to a frame member adjacent the end thereof, said bracket comprising an angle iron, one arm of which is secured to the upper face of a frame member, the other arm thereof extending downwardly in spaced relation with the side face of said frame member; a supporting leg; a plate carried by a face of said leg and engaging the end face of said frame member when the leg is in extended position; a flang formed integral with said plate and projecting from the same; and means for pivotally connecting the flange to the outer face of said downwardly extending arm so that the opposite faces of said flange engage the adjacent faces of said frame member and last-named arm of the bracket, the first-named arm of said bracket being formed with a slot receiving the upper end of said flange when the leg is extended and permitting the leg to be pivotally moved to a folding position underlying the frame member.

JOHN KOVATS. 

